Northeast Reels Under Deluge

A landslide triggered by heavy rains near Lachen in Sikkim’s Mangan district claimed the lives of three army personnel and left six others missing, officials said on Monday. The incident occurred around 7 pm on Sunday at a military camp in Chhaten. The deceased were identified as Havaldar Lakhwinder Singh, Lance Naik Munish Thakur, and porter Abhishek Lakhada. While four injured soldiers were rescued, intensive search efforts are underway to trace the missing personnel, despite difficult conditions. The Army conveyed condolences and pledged full support to the victims’ families.

Torrential rains over the past four days have triggered floods and landslides across Manipur, affecting nearly 20,000 people and damaging over 3,300 houses, officials said. The worst-hit districts include Imphal East and Senapati, where rivers breached embankments, inundating homes, hospitals, and government buildings. The Imphal river overflowed into key areas like Checkon and Heingang, prompting evacuation efforts. Thirty-one relief camps have been set up, while the Army and Assam Rifles rescued around 800 people. Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla visited flood-hit zones and extended school summer vacations in affected regions. Congress has slammed the state’s flood preparedness and urged the governor to declare a state calamity.

Light to moderate rainfall was recorded in several parts of Rajasthan over the past 24 hours, with Khushalgarh in Banswara receiving the highest at 37 mm, the Meteorological Centre said. A fresh western disturbance is expected to trigger thunderstorms with wind speeds of 50–60 kmph and rain in major districts including Jaipur, Jodhpur, Bikaner, and Kota from June 2 to 5. The state’s highest temperature was 41.9°C in Sriganganagar, but maximum temperatures are expected to stay below 45°C for the next few days.

The flood situation in Assam remained critical on Monday with rising water levels affecting nearly four lakh people across 15 districts, as two more deaths took the toll to 10. Cachar, Sribhumi, and Nagaon are among the worst-hit, with over 10,000 people in relief camps. The Brahmaputra and several tributaries are flowing above danger levels, damaging crops, roads, and embankments. The IMD has forecast moderate to extremely heavy rainfall in parts of the state, prompting Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to caution low-lying areas. Union Home Minister Amit Shah assured all support, while 14 stranded people were rescued by an IAF chopper near the Assam-Arunachal border.